Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen

136 Pages·2015·63.17 MB·English

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My deepest gratitude goes out to all of my family members and friends
for their support during this project.
Very special thanks go out to Matt Loux, Yuuko Koyama, Fusami Ogi,
Yuji Nakagawa, Mika Sakki, Rodney Greenblat, Kate Williamson, Rie
McClenny, Raina Telgemeier, Dave Roman, Kaneko Atsushi, Yoko
Oikawa, Youri Morinaga, Chris Butcher, Masakazu Kigure, Xavier Lancel,
Jeff Suon, Mina Monden and the countless others who have helped me
feel welcome on my travels and offered valuable input for this book.
CONTENTS

Prepare for Takeoff!
We Have Arrived!
What Will We Eat?
Home Sweet Homestay!
Let’s Have Some Fun!
So Much to See!
Did Somebody Say “Shopping"?
Manga and Anime and Video Games—Oh My!
Do We Have to Leave?
Travel Resources
Handy Japan Apps
Some other Recommended Destinations
Important Info In Case Of Emergencies
Featured And Recommended Places To Visit
Festivals of Japan
Copyright
Map of Japan
INTRODUCTION

Hello!
Let me be your tour guide on a fun-filled journey to Japan! I'm an
American cartoonist who has had a fascination with Japan for years.
Anime and manga became part of my life when I was a teen. A comics
fan already, I was instantly drawn to the diverse and exciting stories and
art Japan's comics offered. Then, during my college years at Parsons
School of Design in New York, I had a great opportunity to travel to Japan
and complete a summer session at Sophia University in Tokyo, where I
studied Japanese art and religion.
I adored my stay in Japan and collaborated on comics there with my
friend Yuuko Koyama, a pen pal I had been corresponding with long
before I ever made that first trip. To this day (over fifteen years later) we
are still collaborating, and I try to visit Japan every year to have
adventures with her. With me on my travels is my husband, Matt Loux,
who is also an avid Japan traveler and very talented cartoonist!
Matt, Yuuko, and I will take you on a trip through some of our favorite
places to go and things to do. Another character you'll meet is Kitty
Sweet Tooth, my cartoon cat alter ego who likes to share new words and
travel pointers.
I love visiting Japan so much that it's like another home to me. I'd like to
share some of the things I love doing there, as well as some tips I've
picked up along the way, with people who want to make the trek, or just
want to have a little armchair adventure in one of the coolest countries in
the world. I hope this book will come in handy for you when you're
planning your trip or relaxing in your favorite chair.
Let’s go!
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

At the start of each chapter Kitty Sweet Tooth will teach you how to say
some useful words and phrases. Here are a few basic rules of
pronunciation.
In Japanese:
a is pronounced as in the word father
e is pronounced as in the word set
i is pronounced ee as in the word seed
o is pronounced as in the word tote
u is pronounced oo, as in the word soon
Most consonants are pronounced as in English. G is always hard, as in
goat. F is a softer sound than in English, so try not to let your teeth touch
your bottom lip when pronouncing it.
R is also a softer sound, like a gentle curl/roll of the tongue.
There is no l, q, v or x sound in Japanese.